Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks face off in Game one of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Tuesday evening.
The Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens meet for the first time in playoff history.
The New York Islanders return to the postseason for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Their first round opponents will be the heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that has been built up to win the Stanley Cup.
The Los Angeles Kings begin the defense of their Stanley Cup with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues. The Kings have faced the Blues three times in playoff history and have only won once; that victory came in last year's second round sweep en route to winning the franchise's first cup.
The President Trophy-winning Chicago Blackhawks (36-7-5) will head to the playoffs for the fifth straight year and will face-off against the Minnesota Wild (26-19-3) for the first time ever in the postseason. The Wild return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2007-08 season and were also the last team to qualify for a berth on Saturday.
The Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks face off in a playoff battle between two perennial contenders. Some might argue that the window is starting to close on both teams with the rise of younger squads, but the two teams look poised for big runs this year.
With the season winding down, the conversation for NHL awards has heated up. At the center of the conversation is the question of who will win the Hart Trophy for the league MVP.
And then there were two. 14 out of 16 possible playoff spots have been clinched in the NHL and only two remain in the Western Conference.
The Edmonton Oilers will look to revive their playoff hopes when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday evening.
